


Silent Night

by SwanFloatieKnight



Series: The Great War [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - World War I, Christmas Caroling, Christmas Truce of 1914, Cold, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soldiers, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:54:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28302657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanFloatieKnight/pseuds/SwanFloatieKnight
Summary: There was only Christmas and the shared spirit of an icy, star sprinkled, silent night.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: The Great War [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983064
Comments: 14
Kudos: 28





	Silent Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [1f_this_be_madness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/1f_this_be_madness/gifts), [FervidAsAFlame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FervidAsAFlame/gifts).



> just another Christmas Truce fic  
> because there can't be too many imo xD  
> not based on concrete facts, only plot I made up based on stuff I head and read over the years

A/N: I posted this fic on Ao3, and on Ao3 alone. If you read this on any other website or platform, please consider that I did not consent to this.

* * *

The freezing night had wrapped a windy blanket of blackness and stars around the shivering men in the trenches. Cold seeped through the darkness, so freezing that Merlin huddled ever closer to Arthur in an attempt to seek out some warmth.

“Did they not tell us that this bloody war would be over by Christmas?” he whispered. He wanted to put bitterness into his voice, but somehow he was too tired for it. He just wanted to be home, with his mum, in front of a roaring fire. He just wanted to forget about the past three months at the front. All the blood, the cruelty, death. Especially Will’s death.

Next to Merlin, Arthur shuddered. “Well, since when do politicians keep their promises?”

“Good question,” Merlin sighed. “That’s actually a little worrisome, coming from the son of Uther Pendragon. Aren’t you supposed to inherit his seat in the House of Lords one day?”

“And?”

“Doesn’t that make you some kind of a politician yourself?” He grinned.

Arthur snorted. “Right, if that’s the case I will see that I’ll be a better politician one day. And I’ll see that no man will ever again have to fight a war like this.”

“I would vote for you. If you had to be voted for.”

This time, Merlin’s attempt of a joke made Arthur actually laugh. “Oh, thank you.” He fumbled a small flask of brandy from his jacket, took a sip and then passed it to Merlin who gratefully accepted it. In this night, alcohol and cigarettes would be the only things to warm their hearts and dull the pain of emptiness and homesickness.

“If I wouldn’t know about it I would never guess that it was Christmas Eve,” Merlin sighed. “My mum always used to make great gingerbread. I didn’t even get a package from her.” He got his wallet out and looked through some half-written letters until he found the photograph of her that he carried around. “Look, that’s her. I just hope she isn’t worrying too much. I want her Christmas to be happy. Happier than mine.”

Arthur only squeezed Merlin’s shoulder in solidarity. He hoped that his friend’s mother would have the nice day he wished her to have, but also he doubted it, and he knew that Merlin was realistic enough to doubt it, too. Too many people had died during the first months of war. An end of the war, as the generals had promised them, was not in sight. Tonight, most people probably felt as lonely as Arthur did.

But he reminded himself that he wasn’t as lonely as he could have been. At least he had Merlin. Merlin, who comforted him through the worst of attacks, through the loneliest of nights and the most painful of injuries. He had held his hand when a shot had grazed his left thigh only five weeks ago. It had healed surprisingly well, there was hardly a scar left and it was Merlin’s presence that Arthur remembered so clearly that gave him hope.

Hope for the upcoming fights in the next year. Hope for the victory the British Empire would surely achieve eventually. Hope for the precious little love that was growing between them.

Next to him Merlin sniffled. “I hope this watch ends soon. I don’t want to die on Christmas Eve.”

“Don’t talk like this, Merlin. You won’t. We won’t.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“I don’t know,” Arthur sighed, “nothing, I guess. But it’s Christmas. Maybe a miracle will happen.”

For some long and silent minutes they just watched their breath rise in light clouds, up to the sky that was black and full of stars. The world seemed asleep, so tranquil and peaceful. Arthur rested his head on Merlin’s shoulder. He wanted to close his tired eyes, just for a moment, a second of rest.

Then, a sound pierced the silence. There were a few voices singing, male voices, in German. It was a little muffled from across No Man’s Land, but it still sounded beautiful.

_„Süßer die Glocken nie klingen  
_ _Als zu der Weihnachtszeit,  
_ _Ist, als ob Engelein singen  
_ _Wieder von Frieden und Freud,  
_ _Wie sie gesungen in seliger Nacht,  
_ _Wie sie gesungen in seliger Nacht,  
_ _Glocken mit heiligem Klang  
_ _Klingt doch die Erde entlang!“_

Arthur lifted his head again. “Is this… what are they doing?”

Merlin shrugged. “They’re singing. It’s Christmas, after all.”

They listened to the quiet singing from the German trenches, it made Arthur’s heart clench and his soul ache for something he hadn’t known before. He didn’t understand what they were singing, but the meaning behind the words was clear.

Steps echoed from the frozen walls of their trench, the next post stumbled towards them. “Captain Pendragon!”

“Yes?”

“Sir, the Germans are…”

“Yes, they are singing, I can hear that.”

“But what… what are we going to do about it?” The young man looked at Arthur, his large eyes full of confusion and fear and the same unspoken pain that filled Arthur’s very soul.

“Do about it? Nothing. It’s Christmas, they are singing Christmas carols. Let them sing. As long as they don’t start shooting at us I see no reason for us to react in any way. And now return to your post, soldier!”

“Yes, Sir!” The man saluted and left, and Merlin turned to Arthur.

“Now I truly believe that you will be a good politician. You even let the Germans live.”

“I never asked to kill them.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you sign up for the army?”

“Well, yes, but for slightly different reasons.” His face fell. “If I had known what was waiting for me… oh god.” He ran a hand through his dirty hair.

Merlin petted his arm. “Yes… I think we all…”

Their conversation died, and very fittingly the Germans on the other side of the front started singing another carol.

_„Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!  
_ _Alles schläft, einsam wacht  
_ _Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.  
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,  
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!  
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!“_

Merlin elbowed Arthur in the side. “Hey. We know that song, too.”

Arthur smiled. “Now it really is Christmas. For now, it’s only Christmas. No war.”

Merlin nodded. “It’s like the war itself has gone to sleep tonight.”

Their hands joined as they listened to the darkness that filled with voices all along the front line now. More Germans joined in, and in the second stanza they could also hear some English voices pick up the song.

_“Silent night, holy night!  
_ _Shepherds quake at the sight!  
Glories stream from heaven afar,  
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!  
Christ the Saviour is born!  
Christ the Saviour is born!”_

And maybe, for a few minutes, the war was really silent, and the night was holy, and all along the front line there were no more Germans and English and French. There was only Christmas and the shared spirit of an icy, star sprinkled, silent night.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please leave me a comment and kudos! <3


End file.
